1. Field of The Invention
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for packaging articles and more particularly relates to molded, biodegradable materials employed to package articles for shipment and storage.
2. Brief Description of The Prior Art
A concise summary of the state of the art appears in U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,776 wherein it is stated that:
"Several problems are associated with conventional packaging materials, such as expanded polystyrene peanuts."
The patentee in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,776 approaches the problems associated with the state of the art by providing a cellulosic, recyclable product in admixture with a softener and a water-soluble binder. The softener is in fact glycerin, deemed essential to the invention. A percentage of residual water is also required, which can adversely affect some moisture-sensitive articles for packaging.
A primary problem associated with the use of all of the cushioning materials described above, concerns their loose disposition within the package holding the article. The materials are subject to movement and shifting due to handling. When the package is opened, the loose fill also creates clean-up and disposal problems. Of course, these clean-up problems are not associated with the earlier in-situ foam packaging techniques (see for example the descriptions in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,190,442 and 3,204,385) employing synthetic resin foams generated in the spaces around an article to be shipped. Unfortunately, these synthetic resin foams are generally not environmentally acceptable for disposal and/or use. They also require relatively long cure times, before the foam is completely formed and hardened.
The method and apparatus of the invention represents an improvement in the art, in that biodegradable, environmentally acceptable, loose materials are employed which are molded into solid cushions which conform to the spaces to be filled around an article, within a package.